Ding Gua Of Zhouyi Study Under The View Of Design Esthetics

Ding Gua is the50thhexagram in the Zhouyi coincident with the meaning that oneattends to the gloss numbers, and it locates between Ge Gua and Zhen Gua, exactlyreflecting the philosophical thoughts of “restricting the active by quietness” and“maintaining the status quo”. Ding means utensil, used for cooking in ancientChina,which is one of the earliest objects in Chinese shape models. As a symbol ofancient Chinese ritual culture, Ding is regarded as an important object for establishingand inheriting a country, and a symbol of power and identity. Its beauty of function,shape and ornamentation all have a profound influence on modern design. Meanwhile,the design aesthetic meaning embodied in Ding Gua is also very rich. Words of “fireabove wood, the cauldron”, figuratively interpret the beauty of image; words of“keeping every position correct, and maintaining secure the appointment of Heaven”and “the strong and the weak meet in their due proportions”, fully contain a formalbeauty of stable equilibrium and Yin-Yang harmony; words of “the caldron overthrownand its feet turned up” and “the caldron with the things to be cooked in it”, reflectcontrol and bear the functional beauty; and words of “the caldron with yellow ears andrings of metal in them” and “the caldron with rings of jade”, also show the materialbeauty. Meanwhile, the philosophical thoughts in Ding Gua also have a greatsignificance on guiding the modern art and design. Words of “the superior man, inaccordance with this, keeps his every position correct, and maintains secure theappointment of Heaven”, emphasize the importance of design inheritance, not onlyinheriting the people-centered design purpose, but also the Chinese traditional culturalspirits; words of “keep improving through reforms” suggest that innovation is the soulof design, and can use the method like making “the caldron overthrown upside down.But there will be some advantages by getting rid of its bad parts”; words of “the caldronwith the things to be cooked in it. If its subject can say,‘My enemy dislikes me, but he cannot approach me’” reflects the requirements of cooperation and competitive spirits indesign; and words of “the caldron with the places of its ears changed. Thus the progressof its subject is stopped. The fat flesh of the pheasant in the caldron will not be eaten.But the genial rain will come, and the grounds for repentance will disappear. There willbe good fortune in the end” enlightens that perseverance is needed in design.The cauldron, as an important national object, or as the50thhexagram in Zhouyi,has a profound influence and enlightenment on Chinese aesthetics and contemporary artand design. Designers should inherit and develop the traditional Chinese culture,excavate the practical design aesthetic values embodied in Zhouyi, meanwhile “take thecream, and discard the dross”, and make them serve for our design by using theirembodied design aesthetic thoughts, e.g. the mutual promotion of Yin and Yang, thebalanced symmetry, etc.